


Running On Fumes

by HanginWithLilJ (FlyDizzeeD)



Series: Learning to Cope [11]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Crying, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, Overstimulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 18:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17431619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyDizzeeD/pseuds/HanginWithLilJ
Summary: Jeremy doesn't break until day five in Australia.





	Running On Fumes

Flight? Smooth.

Check-in? Flawless.

The first few days? Utterly pristine.

Jeremy doesn't actually break until day five in Australia.

It's early in the day, just barely noon in Melbourne. They have to be at the venue by six. Jeremy is determined to wait as long as possible before showing up. He's tired and comfortable in the hotel bed he has yet to leave, especially since he convinced Alfredo to join in his laziness. The two are tangled up in one another, Jeremy bouncing between awake and asleep while Alfredo is firmly the latter. Heavy curtains block out the harsh Australian sun.

Over the years, Jeremy's gotten mostly used to travelling. It's a near constant thing with RT and he doesn't mind it too much. What helps is that he rarely ever travels alone. That's especially true this time around, but the reasoning is what's tripping him up. He's a goddamn performer. He's good at what he does. But the cycle of meet-up, perform, fly is already wearing on him. AH Live is proving to be a far greater beast than Let's Play Live. His throat is going to hate him for all of this, too, but work is work.

Work isn't work for another few hours though, so he burrows into Alfredo's warmth and relaxes. They have their own beds, and that's where they'd been when it was actually night. But when the alarm went off and Alfredo had attempted to start getting ready for the day, Jeremy had whined and griped and pulled the other into bed with him, covering them in blankets. The taller man barely protested before giving in and drifting off once more.

Jeremy basks in the comfort and familiarity of the moment. His eyes slowly close, heavy with a drowsy sense of peace.

The sudden banging on the door makes him screech.

He startles hard and scrambles off the bed, nearly hitting the side table in his shocked state. When it registers that the knocking is coming from the connecting door on the far side of the room, he sighs. He can hear Alfredo getting up as he heads over and unlocks the door. It opens to reveal an annoyed Geoff, who looks him over and rolls his eyes.

“Are you two seriously just getting up?”

“Uh… yeah? We don't have to leave for a few more hours, right?”

Even as he asks, Jeremy is pulling his phone out to see if there's anything important he missed. Geoff sighs.

“We're leaving at five because of traffic, but we’re gonna go out and get lunch in like an hour. Jack wants to know if you and Alfredo are up for it?”

And, well, he doesn't know about Alfredo, but he's certainly not up for it. He doesn't want to leave the hotel until he has to. Usually sitting around makes him too pent up, but he's still tired and he sorta just wants to stay where it's quiet and calm. So, no, he doesn't want to go get lunch.

“Sure.” He finds himself blurting it out with a nod, already looking back in the room and planning to get ready. His brain has a habit of fighting him, and right now he's getting that “yes man” feeling.

“I'm down.” Alfredo's voice calls from the bed, followed by a yawn.

“Great. Get showered and dressed; you smell like Matt Bragg after running.”

With that, the door closes and it's just him and Alfredo again. He doesn't bother to re-lock it and rubs his eyes as he heads for the bathroom.

“I call first shower.”

He cracks a smile at Alfredo's whine.

Maybe he'll be okay.

\---

The place is loud. Unsurprising, considering they've shown up during the lunch rush. It's a local burger place that Jack says he's been to before, claims it's way better than the American sort. The bright lights and loud noises are making Jeremy's head hurt, but he stays quiet and studies the menu hanging over the counter. Once it's his turn to order, he makes it quick. He hurries away as soon as his change and receipt are handed to him, standing with the others to wait for his order.

“This place is fuckin’ packed.” He says as the bell rings over the door, announcing the arrival of even more customers.

“Yeah, it was last time I came here. The wait isn't bad, though.”

He looks up at Jack, who's busy typing rapid fire on his phone. The man at the counter calls a number and Geoff walks over to grab the bag of food. Alfredo already has his, and he knows Geoff and Jack ordered together, so now they're just waiting on him. It's a very minute amount of pressure, but for some reason Jeremy feels off about it. He's felt off all day.

Thankfully Jack is right about the wait. Jeremy gets his food in minutes and relaxes a bit as they exit the restaurant and walk down the sidewalk.

“Where are we going?”

“There's a park not far from here.” Geoff says. “We can eat there and chill for a bit.”

That sounds nice. Way better than some crowded restaurant. And the walk is short, so their food is still hot when they round a corner and find the entrance to the park. The four claim an empty picnic table in the shade and start eating, making idle conversation. Jeremy mostly just listens, interjecting every now and then.

He eats half his burger before he starts to feel ill. Exhausted. Like the whole world is pushing on him, just barely, from every direction. He leans his elbows on the table and stares at the woodgrain, gaze roaming the long lines and swirls.

“--there, Jeremy?”

Hearing his name makes his head snap back up. He squints at Jack, eyebrows furrowed.

“What?”

The older man looks concerned.

“I was asking if you're still there. You zoned out. I tried like three times. Are you okay?”

“Yeah! Yes. I'm fine. Just, uh, have a lot on my mind I guess.”

Judging by the way Jack narrows his eyes, the lie is transparent. Geoff chimes in before Jack can call his bullshit.

“Me too, man. All this Haunter shit has me stressed to hell. I think I'm driving Daniel insane with all my questions about the shoot.”

“Crazy ass demon shit.” Alfredo mutters.

He looks back down at the table, but he can feel Jack's eyes on him. His finger traces the grooves of the wood. Some part of him is aching to scream about how tired he is, how stressed he is, how desperate he is to not feel like he's got 500 pounds crushing him. That part is stamped down by his desire to show how capable he is. It's been years since he joined AH, but the occasional spike of inadequacy still surfaces and spits venom in his brain.

He's grateful when Jack drops the subject. The other three go back to banter that he doesn't have the energy to contribute to. It's half past two by the time they throw their trash away in the park's bins and start walking back to the hotel. Jeremy hangs back some in favor of letting the others walk ahead of him so he can follow them down the sidewalk, since they seem to know where they're going. His brain has been too foggy to really pay attention to directions.

The crowds aren't nearly as bad as other cities they've been in. Even the traffic noise isn't terrible. But all of it is still a lot, and it's bleeding through his brain. The overstimulation is wearing on his nerves. Dodging around strangers, muttering apologies, keeping a constant eye on the others, and trying to block out all the other input that the city is throwing his way has Jeremy well and truly fucked.

His brain feels itchy and every brush against his skin is hell. He wants to cover his ears, but he also doesn't want to unwrap his arms from around his chest. That small conflict is a war that makes him choke on the nothingness in his throat. His vision goes blurry for just a moment before he blinks it away, but the slip has put a few more feet between him and the others. He speeds up, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. Without tripping, he still manages to stumble and hit something. Someone.

Jeremy's face briefly collides with Jack's back. The sudden touch makes Jack look over his shoulder and then freeze entirely, which just sends Jeremy colliding into him again. He tries to apologise, but he chokes on the words before they can leave his throat and the sound that comes out isn't pleasant. There's a hand reaching for him now, making him flinch and close his eyes, but no touch comes. Instead, he hears a smooth, distinct voice over the slight crowd.

“Jer, is it okay if I touch you? I just wanna hold your hand. It's alright if that's too much right now.”

The gentle words successfully coax him into opening his eyes. He watches Jack, tense, but calms slightly when their eyes meet. It's Jack. Jack is good input. He nods, barely noticeable, and holds out a hand. Jeremy nearly rips it away when Jack takes it, but he fights the urge.

“Thank you, Jeremy. Do you think you can hold my hand until we get back to the hotel?”

He nods again, a bit more confident this time. Jack's smile sends a warm feeling through his whole body.

“There's my brave little Wolverine. Don't worry, we'll be there in no time.”

They start to walk again, Geoff staying on his other side so he's framed by the older men and no more people bump into him. Alfredo pulls something out of the drawstring bag on his back, and Jeremy doesn't know what it is until a pair of headphones are slid on his head and over his ears. There's no music coming from them, and they don't block out the noise perfectly, but the slight barrier between him and the world is an immense help. 

By the time they make it to the hotel, he isn't as freaked out by the touching. The noise is still too much, and even the dim elevator light is upsetting, but he squeezes Jack's hand and makes it to their rooms with only a few tears.

Alfredo goes in first, immediately turning off the lights that had been left on from before and making sure the heavy curtains are still blocking the sun. Jack lets go of his hand so they can get through the door. The lost touch feels like part of Jeremy is being ripped out of his chest. He follows the older man in and latches onto him in a tight hug, going from damn near touch-repulsed to touch-starved in seconds. His emotions are all over the place as he shakes like a leaf in Jack's arms.

He can't hear exactly what Jack is murmuring to him as reassurance, words drowned out by the headphones, but the man's rumbling voice grounds him anyway. The world melts away and it's just the two of them.

Things feel simpler. More straightforward. He's familiar with that feeling, since it's the one he's been fighting all day. Now, with the safety of the strong arms encircling him, Jeremy gives into it.

The feeling is heavy and then light, but still he breaks down. It feels good to break down, to sob without restraint into Jack's chest, soaking his shirt with tears and snot. He scrambles to cling even tighter when he feels himself being lifted off the ground. Jack sways in a way that sends a wave of calm through him, but he's nowhere near done crying even as the sobs die off in favor of strained hiccups and scared whimpers. A third hand scritches gently through his hair and he turns his head just enough to see Geoff, who smiles at him. He offers a small, watery smile in return.

He's not sure exactly how long it is before he finally calms down enough to stop crying, but by then he's laying on Jack's chest in bed, one hand reaching out to clutch Geoff's shirt while his free thumb is lodged in his mouth. The headphones are off because his ear is pressed right over Jack's heart. The steady, rhythmic beat is calming.

“Hey, JJ. Can you tell me how you're feeling?”

Jack's voice draws him out of his hazy, simple thoughts. He whines and rubs his cheek against the man's shirt, which makes him chuckle.

“Please, sweetheart?”

“I thought I was sweetheart.” Geoff grumbles, sounding half asleep himself. Jack rolls his eyes.

“You both are, but I need to know how our Jer-bear feels.”

“‘m okay.” He slurs around his thumb.

“Do you need anything?”

“Nap.”

“Me, too. Shut up, Jack.”

Jeremy giggles and relaxes further, going limp all over. He finally feels some sense of calm, the anxiety from earlier that day long gone and replaced with warmth and contentment. Jack cards fingers through his hair soothingly, his other hand holding Geoff's.

“A nap sounds perfect.”

“Love you, Jack. Love you, Geoff.”

“Love you, too, Jer.”

“I love you both a shit ton, very gay for you Jack, warm feelings, yada yada, please let me sleep.”

Jack smirks.

“Love you, too, sweetheart.”


End file.
